


Initiation

by morbidroses



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, Open Ending, Serpent!Jughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 06:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11374188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morbidroses/pseuds/morbidroses
Summary: After 1x13, Betty and Jughead haven’t communicated for a week. But after they reunite Jughead begins considering joining the Serpents and Betty fears his decisions.





	Initiation

Betty walks into Pops with one thing on her mind. Jughead.

She hasn’t seen or heard from him since the Serpents visited his trailer a week ago.

Betty stops in the doorway and inhales the scent of freshly baked pie and milkshakes. A smile tugs at her lips as a sense of home overcomes her.

Off in the corner of the diner was a raven haired boy with a crown beanie pulled over his ear, in his new signature leather jacket with a Serpents logo pasted on the back. Betty tightly wrapped her hands around her purse strap at the sight. As much as she loved Jughead and supported his decisions, she was not very enthralled by his decision to join the gang.

She waved at him and began making her way over to the booth. Sitting down she gave Jughead a soft smile and looked into his eyes.

“It’s nice to finally see you after you went MIA for a week.” Betty joked as she fiddled with her thumbs.

Over the past couple weeks, Betty has come to Jughead for support, a person who she knew would never judge her. She found peace when she was with him and that peace made her always want to be with him. Them not communicating for a week hurt Betty more than she’d realized.

“I’m sorry Betts. It’s just between my dad, the new foster home, and trying to fit myself in at the south side… it’s been pretty hectic.” Jughead looked down at her hands just before taking them in his. He squeezed her hand tightly and kissed her knuckles. She grinned and she could feel her stomach fill with butterflies. No matter how many times he kissed her, she always felt them.

“I just wish I could be there more for you, and help you through this.” She untangled her hands from his and gestured to the space around him.

She bit the inside of her lips and looked at Jughead, whose attention had been brought to the entrance of the diner. Betty turned herself and met his gaze.

A tall girl with shoulder length hair and piercings placed on her lip and nose walked in with a shorter muscular guy who wore a leather jacket and had his hair combed back. Jughead smirked and called both of them over.

They stopped in front of their booth and Jughead got up to hug them. Betty sat back watching curiously and placing her hands under her legs.

Jughead turned back to Betty and introduced the two to her.

“Betty this is Ruben and Rosie.” He pointed to the pair and then stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“Nice to meet you.” She smiled weakly and tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, but it was not working out how she hoped.

The couple only smiled at her before turning right back to Jughead. Their conversation was about another Serpent named Jimmy who’d just got killed. There was going to be a meeting later tonight at the bar to discuss the matter. Then they moved on to the topic of Jughead becoming fully initiated into the gang.

Jughead simply agreed he would be at the meeting and agreed to the initiation.

His words made Betty shoot her head up and look at him. He looked like a completely different person. His eyes no longer soft, but filled with danger.

Ruben lifted up his arm to wrap it around Rosie, his shirt raised up to reveal a shining butt end of a semi-automatic.

Betty swallowed hard and tried to ignore the gun. She began to think of Jughead carrying a gun. That’s what he’d have to do if he was initiated right? Betty cringed at the thought. His soul was to kind, even thought the world dealt him a shitty hand he still treated others with respect. Would that change if he became a Serpent? Would his behaviors and preferences change? Would he see Betty as unfit to be his girlfriend anymore and leave her? The questions raced through her mind and every time she thought they were over another came to mind. She hadn’t noticed her eyes welling up with tears until Jughead looked over at her with concern.

“Hey, Betty is everything okay?” He went to reach for her hand but she brushed it away.

“Everything’s fine Juggie.” Her voice was brittle and hollow. She pushed past the girl and wiped away the tear that escaped on her cheek. The parking lot was empty as Betty made her way to her car practically sobbing.

Jughead ran out the door behind her trying to keep up with her. He jogged along the gravel lot hoping Betty would stop and turn around.

“Betty!” He yelled one final time. She turned around, her eyes red and wet, with what little bit of mascara she had on running under her eyes.

The space between them felt like a million miles. Jughead just watched as her expression stayed the same as she walks closer to him.

“Juggie I-I just can’t see you do this.” She stammered before hugging him tightly, grabbing at the fabric of his shirt.

“Can’t see me do what?” He questioned as her hug became stronger.

“I can’t see you become a Serpent Jug, it just seems like the opposite of who you are.You’re better than that.”

Jughead loosened the hug and held Betty at arms length, his expression hurt by her words.

“Better than my father?” He scoffed and let go of Betty, 

“At this point, that’s getting pretty damn hard!” 

“Do you really think if you become part of this gang it will get easier to distance yourself from all this!” Jughead avoided Betty’s eyes. 

He knew she was right, that doing this was not going to improve his situation. But being with the Serpents gave him this power he’d never felt before. He felt liberated.

“No Betty, I know it won’t help. But the Serpents treat me like family, they give me a sense of power.” He turned around ignoring anything more she had to say, joining Ruben and Rosie back in the diner.

“Jughead!” Betty yelled out one more time through broken sobs.


End file.
